StarStruck
by LadyOlanthe
Summary: Captain Hope Estheim is given the job to escort young and beautiful Oerba Dia Vanille on a mission to bring peace to warring aliens. The two come to grow fond of one another and become a part the war. Will these starcrossed lovers make it? AU VanillexHope
1. Chapter 1

**StarStruck**

by LadyOlanthe

Summary: Commander Hope Estheim is given the job to escort young and beautiful Ambassador Oerba Dia Vanille to the Minerva System in order to bring Peace to warring aliens. The two, who initially despise each other have a change of heart and become a part of an intergalatic war. Will these starcrossed lovers make it? AU 

Author's Note: I do not own Hope, Vanille, Snow or any of the Final Fantasy Characters; they belong to Square Enix.

Okay so I changed their ages and a bit about them for this story. First off, Vanille is 21 years old and just became an Ambassador in this story. She's from a colony called "Oerba". Hope is 24 years old and he and his friend Snow came in possession of a ship called "The Alexander" (named after his Eidolon in the game). Hope and Snow are from Cocoon which belongs in the "Pulse" system of planets.

Please enjoy.

xxx

**Chapter One: Vacation's All I Ever Want  
**

From the land, the sky looked like a blue canvas with white streaks and a single golden orb in the center but when you're out there, above the clouds and beside the sun, it looked different. Up there the sky was black with dusty waves of blue or purple. It was dotted with white stars both big and small. A large golden sun sat in the center of space. All the other planets and systems were easy to see. One such colony that was seeable once one was in space was "Oerba". It was the first colony outside of Cocoon in the "Pulse" system. After much study, the citizens of Cocoon discovered that this small planet nearby had perfect conditions for their kind so they started colonizing it. Now it stood as it's own independent state and part of the Intergalatic Union that binded all the different planetary systems around.

Circling Oerba was a ship-too small to be a federation war ship and too large to be a luxury ship owned by a wealthy person. It was rusty and the paint was chipped. In faded letters was the name "Alexander".

"Alexander" orbited the planet, overseeing the trading routes between Oerba and other planets in the system. One would think that the crew of this ship was hard at work monitoring the routes around the planet. But some things aren't what they seem...

_Anyway you want it, That's the way you need it, Anyway you want it!_

1980's era rock and roll along with low hushed breathing filled the captain's cockpit. In the lounge room of the ship a group of aliens sat around a table, with bottles of wine, enjoying an intense game of "goldfish", which they had just discovered. In the engine room a tall Viera sat herself gently into a seat and watched over engine statistics flashing across a large computer screen.

Snow Villers, the first officer of the ship, searched the narrow halls in search of a good place to nap. It seemed like every room was full or not comfortable enough. After a brief search, Snow found himself in the conference room. It was the ideal place to nap since it had soundproof walls and comfortable cushioned chairs. He poked his head out the door to make sure no one was coming. When it looked clear enough he locked the room, plopped into a chair and fell into a light sleep.

His peaceful sleep was interrupted by the beeping coming from the communication device in the conference room. "Oh what now?" he grumbled. He didn't lift his head but reached over to the phone-like device and turned it on. _Perhaps the Captain wants to bother me!_ he thought as he pressed the button.

"Hello?....Captain!" a deep and loud voice came from the large screen at the other side of the room. Snow recognized the voice and knew instantly that it was NOT his ship's Captain. It was someone far more important.

In a flash, Snow jumped up and out of his chair and turned towards the screen on the wall. He stood straight and pulled his left hand up to his head to salute, then he quickly changed it to his right hand. He felt embarassed and hoped he didn't have dried drool or that his hair was too askew. "High Commander Raynes! Pardon me." Snow tried not to look the man in the screen right in the eyes.

"At ease, Officer. Where is your Captain? And...Who are you?" The commander asked, His silver eyes peering into Snow's eyes and causing the man to be a bit uncomfortable.

"Well, I am, er, that is...I'm First Officer of the 'Alexander', sir! My name is Officer Snow Villiers, " Snow stammered. He let one hand comb through his hair only to find that his blonde hair was messy. He also had drool on his face.

"Could you go and get your Captain, Officer Villers?" Raynes asked, turning his attention down to papers on his own desk.

Snow mumbled a "yes" and ran out of the room, hurrying to the cockpit. There he met with his captain.

"Captain, you got to head over to the conference room, the High Commander wishes to speak to you." There was no response, just quiet slow breathing and the sound of Journey on the small radio over the Captain's chair. Snow stared at the back of the chair. It was leaned back and he saw the captain's feet plopped up on the dashboard of the ship. With a sigh, Snow snuck over to the seat and grabbed a small handle. Pulling it up, he used his other hand to push the chair. It snapped up straight with great furry and he heard the snort and yelp of his captain as he was sandwhiched in the small space between the chair and the control panel on the dashboard.

"What the?" the captain barely managed to speak. He pulled himself out of the position and turned around, his drousy eyes searching for Snow. "Snow? What the hell! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The captain mumbled weakly. He began to stretch and then reached for the handle in order to fix his chair.

"Sorry Captain, but we've got a ca-"

"Call me Hope, not Captain, " Hope Estheim interrupted his comrade and he sat back in the chair. He began to play with knobs and buttons on the control panel.

"Right, Hope. We've got a call from the High Commander. He needs to speak with you. It seems rather urgent." Snow began to wrap a black bandana around his head and watched Hope manuever the ship towards one of the trade routes of Oerba.

"Oh really?" Hope continued, "he probably wants to give us a new job...This one's been dull, we don't even have to do anything. Those Ambassadors at Oerba can seriously pull off this shit on their own." Hope yawned when mentioning the Oerbans. He obviously found them boring.

He got up from his seat and walked over to the conference room. Raynes was on hold so Hope clicked him back on. "Ah, hi there Ciddy. Missed me?" Hope slumped into a chair, crossed his feet above the table and threw his arms behind his head.

"Very comical, Captain Estheim." The commander rolled his eyes as he continued, "How are things on Oerba? The trade routes alright?"

"As good as they can be, those damn Oerbans are serious peace freaks. I don't think anything is getting pass their 'passive kind' patrole, " Hope said acidly.

"Right, " Cid let out a breathless chuckle. "Well if it's good, we're relieving you and your crew of your job. Consider the deed done and you can head off on vacation."

Hope shot right up out of his chair and slammed his hands onto the table. "Wait a minute, Commander, please repeat."

"You and your crew are officially on vacation, Captain. Now go off to do as you wish. I suggest the Enduclerian pleasure planet-Great Casino there..." Cid went off on a list of great vacations spots but Hope and Snow were ignoring him and high fiving each other with excitement.

"Sounds great, Ciddy. Thanks for the offer." Hope leaned over to shut off the communication link between them and the commander.

"Just a second Hope, about your paym-" Cid began but was interrupted by Hope.

"Sorry, sir, but we're on Va-cay!" He clicked the machine off and left the room. Once in the cockpit, he sat down in his seat and reached for a microphone. Putting it on, he leaned back in his seat and said, "Attention crew and members of the 'Alexander', this is your captain speaking and I've got splendid news. It appears the High Commander thinks we did a pretty damn good job here so...Well, we're going on vacation. We'll be leaving the Oerba orbit in 10 minutes. Be at your stations before then. We'll be heading into warpspeed mode...And we'll be going to Enduclerian."

Snow swore he could hear cheering from within the ship. He smiled and sat into his seat that was a few feet from the captain. They were soon joined by the Viera from the Engine room. She nodded to the men and sat in a chair opposite Snow. Just as they were going to fly off, Snow recalled that the Commander had something to say. "Captain, aren't you curious to know what the High Commander was going to say?"

"Nope, " Hope answered immediately, ending the conversation. Then they were off, blasting through space.

xxx

"Finally finished!" Oerba Dia Vanille sighed as she hit the "send" button on her computer screen.

"What did you have to do now, Vanny?" a voice from behind her startled her. Vanille had forgotten that her dear friend, Serah Farron was behind her.

She sighed, "Just a report on our trade routes and activity with other plantes. Oerba is just too great a deal to the Intergallatic Union and Federation. They even sent a small federation ship here to monitor our patrole."

"Sounds like it was a hefty report." Serah was distant, distracted by something.

"Sure, but probably not as bad as what they'll put onto my desk next, " Vanille laughed as she leaned back against her chair. She reached up to her hair, which was up in a tight bun, and tugged gently at two bobby pins. The pins becames loose and, as she put her hands down to her sides, billows of her red hair fell down. Next, she slipped out of her shoes and pulled off her glasses.

"You need a vacation, Vanille, " Serah said as she watched her friend twirl around in her chair and slide over to a large stack of papers on her other desk.

Vanille's eyes met her friends for a few seconds before turning back to her work. "You have no idea. I haven't done anything for me in FOREVER." She began searching through and signing off some documents.

"Well then it's a good thing I got you vacation!" Serah giggled as she headed towards the door of Vanille's office.

It took Vanille a few seconds to process Serah's remark. "Wait, Serah, what?!" She called for her friend who had dissapeared out the door.

Serah reappeared at the door with a grin on her face. "Vacation, the shuttle that we'll be taking us is waiting for us as we speak." she raised her eyebrows and shot Vanille a questioning glance.

The red head smiled and jumped up from her seat. "Let me pack!"

"No need, already tooken care off, " Serah said as she twirled a lock of strawberry blonde hair around her finger absentmindedly. "Oh and there's a really sexy number waiting in the ship for you to change into. You'll look great once we get to Enduclerian." Serah turned and walked down the hallway and Vanille stumbled not too far behind.

"Wait, Enduclerian? Sexy number? Serah!" Vanille struggled to slip into her stiletos as she ran after her friend. Serah just giggled and picked up pace.

Before she knew it, Vanille was sitting in a small luxurious lounge room of a small shuttle craft. Serah had left the room to get that "sexy number" she spoke of before. Vanille sighed and stared out of the large window in the farside of the room. they were out in space now, but not out of Oerba's orbit. She could see the small planet she called home. A smile grew on her face as she thought about the peace she as an Ambassador brought to Oerba. Of course she wished she would get a chance to go out and work with other people on their planets but she was only twenty two and the federation felt she needed more experience in the office. Vanille was too smart for the office, though. She spoke more languages than anyone else and she knew about all aspects of any culture you could name within the Union. She wanted a chance to prove herself to them so bad.

While she was lost in thought, Vanille hadn't noticed Serah walk into the room with said "sexy number" in hand. "Vanny..." Vanille whipped her head around to see her friend standing there. Serah's long strawberry blonde hair was up in an elegant up do and she wore a small red strapless dress, the bodice of which hugged her curves tightly. Vanille blushed, her friend was such a flirt but she could never imagine herself that way. Of course she would have to, she realized as she layed her eyes on the small cloth in Serah's hands.

"No! Absolutely not!" her cheeks burned furociously at the sight of the small strapless tight black dress in Serah's hands.

"Oh come on, Vans, it's just for tonight. You'll look so damn hott in it!" Serah insisted but Vanille continued to protest. Serah frowned and shook her head. "But I bought it for you...You need to find a man." She glared at Vanille.

"No, I'm not wearing that!" Vanille said, crossing her arms across her chest and holding her head high.

xxx

"I can't believe you got me to wear this, " Vanille tried not too look at herself as they landed on Enduclerian. She couldn't remember how but somehow Serah convinced her to put on the small dress. She also managed to persuade Vanille to keep her hair down rather in two pigtails or up in a conservative do, as she normally wore it. The one thing she let Vanille control was her glasses saying they looked "classy and sexy."

"I can believe it, " Serah giggled as she lead her friend through the casino.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about tonight?" Vanille asked. Serah didn't seem to hear her as she tugged her friend through the crowd.

Not too far behind them, two men in casual clothing walked onto the casino grounds. One was a rather large man with messy blonde hair and a black bandana. The other was shorter and more lean. His silvery hair was neat and flipped out in all directions at the ends. He wore a cocky and lazy smile on his face.

"Are you ready, Hope?" Snow asked, excitedly looking at the large casino before them.

"Let's do this. There are probably hundreds of woman to skrew." Hope whistled as he walked towards the large enterance.

Snow sighed, "Why do I have a bad feeling about tonight?" He followed after his captain.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: A Chance Meeting**

Author's note: Alright, here's a fun chapter, in my opinion. Being a Mormon I don't expect to write some of the dirty stuff that will be in this story but there are some suggestive material so yeah. I hope you guys enjoy. In this chapter, Hope and Vanille will meet.

enjoy.

xxx

The lights at the Grand Casino glittered like neon colored crystals under the sun. It was a marvelous sight. Huge buildings that resembled slot machines lined the far right side of the courtyard outside of the casino. To the far left, dozens of hotels with neon signs that said things like ONE NIGHT STAND. At the very center of the courtyard was a large majestic fountain and a few yards behind that were stairs leading up to the casino. The courtyard itself was a huge maze with high ivy covered walls. Cutting through the center of the maze like courtyard was a wide pathway that was lined by tall palm trees. People flooded the pathway that lead to the fountain and stairs.

Hope Estheim took in a deep breath of the sweet smelling air. With a ticket and ID in hand, he headed towards the fountain. He stopped right infront of the large pool. Beautiful marble statues of Venus and other Greek gods decorated the center of the pool. Lights at the water's edge colored the spraying water. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden coin. It had a picture of Etro the Goddess of the city of Eden, capital city of Cocoon. He gently pressed his lips against the cool coin. "Wish me luck Etro." With a flick of his thumb, he sent the coin flying. It is said that if one can get the gold coin of Etro into the mouth of the large Venus startue in the center of the fountain, they would be given the god's luckfor the night. Hope kept his eyes on the gold coin, it seemed to move so slow. Then it fell....Right into Venus's mouth!

"Yes!" Hope jumped up and down with joy. His comrade, Snow, was right beside him and cheered for his friend.

"Well now, friend, let's see if it works, " Snow smiled and the two headed up the stairs to the entrance.

xxx

"Come on Vanille, do you have a gold coin of Etro?" Serah stopped by the fountain. She was admiring a pair of handsome man who were looking her up and down. "They're kinda cute and I want good luck while here." She whirled around to find her friend. Vanille just stood there, trying to not be noticable in the little black dress she wore. "Oh calm down, you look great." Serah pulled out her bag and began searching for a coin frantically.

"Here, " Vanille said as she handed her friend a gold coin.

"Thanks, Vanny!" Serah jumped up and down with excitement. She kissed the coin rather seductively while sharing side glances with the handsome admirers. Then she prepared to toss it when something jumped into her mind. "Vans, you got another one?"

"Yes but I don't want to waste any money before we get in, " she laughed. Serah ran over to her and grabbed her friends little purse. She located a gold coin of Etro and placed it in Vanille's hand.

"I want you to throw one in with me, " she winked and lead her friend to the fountain's edge. Vanille looked up at the large Venus. Her head was leaning back and her mouth was opened wide. She was beautiful. "Kiss the coin for good luck!" Serah's voice interrupted Vanille's thoughts.

"Right, " she muttered agreement. She put the coin against her lips. For being stuck deep in her purse, it felt as cold as ice. It felt good.

"Ready?" Serah giggled to her friend. They set up their hands to flick the coins into the pool. "Three....Two...."

"One, " Vanille ended the countdown and they both flicked the coins. They followed their coins as they flew through the air. This really only took a second but it felt like eternity. Serah's coin fell into the bowl that another statue by Venus held out.

"Damn, " she muttered under her breath. Vanille's coin floated for what seemed like forever. Finally it landed right in the mouth of Venus. "You got great luck Vanny, " Serah smiled to her friend.

"Well then, let's go!" For the first time that night Vanille actually seemed excited. She grabbed her friend's arm and the two skipped to the entrance.

xxx

Lady Luck was truley on Hope and Snow's side. The two gambled their butts off....And they were winning. Girls flocked around them as they won more and more. The pals high fived each other each time they beat some sorry wealthy guy and earned his sexy female possie. "Come on girls, " Hope winked to the girls.

They played for hours when they decided they earned enough to buy everyone a drink. Hope and Snow, followed by a huge crowd of young beautiful party animals, ran into a small bar. Jazz music from the late 20th century was blasted in the hot room. The huge group approached the bar with Hope at the front.

"What'll it be?" the barkeep asked, staring at the crowd. He was an alien of some sort, thin and tall with muscular shoulders that tapered into arms as thick as a stick. His skin was scaly, moist looking and a mix of brown, red and yellow in color. His eyes were long and slanted. There was no iris or pupil in them, they were pitch black.

"Hmn...How bout Bhujerban Wine all around!" Hope shouted the last two words and turned to his large possie. They all cheered in agreement. The barkeep nodded and began supplying them with the wine. Bhujerban wine was considered the strongest most intoxicating wine in the galaxy. It was taken in small shots every half hour. The group started their first round with a salute to Hope and Snow.

"Anything else?" the barkeep asked.

In unison the crowd answered, "More wine and beer!"

It had been several hours and the group was still partying in the same bar. Snow went and played DJ, playing Hope's favorite 80's songs. The song "Jump" by VanHalen was blaring in the joint and the crowd sang along. Hope took another shot of Bhujerban wine and then ordered for a light beer. He didn't want to get too drunk just yet. He needed his charms if he was going to find his next victim. That Hotel, ONE NIGHT STAND, sounded good about then. He scanned the joint. Sure the girls with him were mighty fine but he wanted a real nice piece of meat tonight.

It was at that moment that his eyes fell apon _her_. Ya'know, _her._ At first sight a beautiful woman but when one looks closer, she was a little different than most. She was different. His eyes scanned her up and down. She was thin and curvy and wore a small black strapless dress that hugged those voluptuous curves. He was drooling just looking at her. She had waves of amber colored hair that shined below the dim lights of the bar. Her eyes were rather large and emeralde. She had a small innocent smile on her face which was framed with delicate features. She looked pure and that was the kind of girl he liked to "play with" these kinds of nights. A girl who was probably on vacation from some university who grew up in a small town with a preacher for a father.

He bit his lip as he realized there was something in the way. She was sitting with another girl. The other was equally as cute and young looking but not nearly as naive or innocent looking. This girl had strawberry tinted blonde hair that was worn up and was wearing a similar dress only red. The companion had called over some handsome men and was trying to push Hope's target into flirting. There was another barrier he would have to pass. Clearly this red head was not interested in picking up men in a bar. That would be difficult to get past.

He continued to observe them and it wasn't long until the men had dissapeared with the flirty-girl-in-the-red-dress. Said girl giggled a farewell to her friend and left, leaving the red head at the table alone.

"Need anything sir?" the barkeep tugged at Hope's white shirt. He glanced behind his shoulder and nodded. The barkeep refilled his glass. Then he walked over to the lonely girl at the table. It was time to make his move.

"Hey there. I see your friend left you all alone." He raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

"Um, yeah. But that's okay, I'm fine." She rolled her eyes and turned away. So she really hated guys in bars.

"May I sit with you?" he asked.

"No one's stopping you, " she answered, not looking at him. He sat in the chair across from her and took another sip of his beer.

"So, what's your name?" He finally broke the silence between them.

"That's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know it, " she said with ease. So she's a little minx.

He grinned, "Okay, I'll call you emeralde-eyed-oned or perhaps you prefer redhead?"

"I don't have a preference, " she muttered.

"Then it's emeralde-eyed-one, " he mused. He leaned back and kept his eyes locked on her.

"So what can I call you? What's your name?" she asked.

"That's on a need to know basis and you don't need to know it, " he repeated her words, sweet poison in his tone. _Am I annoying you yet? _He wondered to himself and let out a low chuckle.

"What's so funny?" She looked him in the eyes for the first time since their conversation began. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"Nothing. Well, you are kind of amusing little one." He pulled his glass to his lips and took a drink. He hadn't noticed how large his smile was until then.

"Maybe I should call you 'Chuckles'!" She let out an unamused laugh.

"Alright then, Chuckles and Emeralde Eyes. We make a lovely match, don't you think?" He had to admit that she was entertaining him more than he originally expected. She actually laughed at the joke as well.

"I suppose, " she answered in a sweet genuinley amused tone. He felt like he was finally getting somewhere with her. She sensed this and then her tone turned serious. "Look, I know what you're doing, " she continued, "But you should know that I don't let guys pick me up at bars and I especially do not have sex on the first date."

He took this into thought. "Well, it's not really a first date so you can still sleep with me."

"Ugh, men!" she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but can I atleast buy you a drink?" he asked.

"I don't drink too much, " she said.

"And that's the beauty of shots, it's a small amount." He leaned behind himself and signaled to the barkeep. "Seven rounds of the good stuff!"

"Are you sure?" Vanille asked as a large platter with 14 little cups filled with red liquid was placed infront of them.

"Absolutely Emeralde Eyes." He handed her one and raised his in the air. "To meeting someone you don't know by name and will not sleep with!"

"Cheers, Chuckles." They tapped their glasses to each other and took in the small shots at the same time. One by one they each took in seven shots. Before the fifth she was already drunk. His plan was working. He gave her seven straight shots of Bhujerban wine, which would send someone into a complete intoxicated state. Before they knew it they were both drunk as hell and partying like there was no tomorrow.

The night was spent running around Enduclerian, playing at the amusement park, going to see the circus, getting in a photobooth to take suggestive pictures and other crazy things that a pair of drunks would do. They giggled and laughed about everything.

"Ha, Chuckles is chuckling, " Vanille slurred. She poked his cheek with her index finger and laughed.

"You said it Emeralde Eyes!" They spent the night running, laughing and doing kinky stuff that should never ever be mentioned.

Eventually it all went black.

Sure, it seems super fun when you're drinking and become drunk but both of them would find out that it may seem like a great idea when you're doing it but it seems like the worse decision you've ever made in your life the next morning.

The sad thing is that morning came a bit too soon....


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: The Next Morning**

Author's note: This chapters kinda short and suggests some adultish themes so yeah. I think it's funny. enjoy.

xxx

"Ugh, " Vanille groaned as she woke up. She turned her head to the left to get a glimpse at the time. It was one in the afternoon, way too late for a woman with such a great reputation. She couldn't remember what happened the night before but it all started with a shot of alcohol. With another groan she slipped out of bed and pulled on a silky purple robe. She walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen and began to brew a pot of coffee. Once it was finished, Vanille poured some into a mug and brought it to her lips and took a sip. She placed the cup down when she realized how sore and bruised her lips felt. "That's strange..." she thought outloud. She walked over to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash up. As she absentmindedly put toothpaste onto her toothbrush, she glanced up at the mirror and met her own emeralde green eyes. "Ugh, I look awful!" She wasn't wearing any makeup, her lips looked swollen and her cheeks were flushed. Her hair was messy and tangled and it was in that moment that she realized she wasn't wearing anything under that robe. _Was I so drunk that I forgot to wear pajamas to bed?_ she wondered to herself.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a sound coming from the bedroom. She heard the bed springs squeak and low tired grunts. She froze and searched the bathroom for something to defend herself. Finally she settled on the plunger. She snuck out of the bathroom and saw a figure leaning down behind the counter to grab something. _Omigosh! Is this a burglar or something?_ She snuck closer to the figure and then, just as it stood up, she wacked it with the plunger.

"Ouch! Emeralde Eyes! Calm down! Ouch!" Hope, or "Chuckles" to her, yelped from behind the counter as she beat him.

"What the-? Chuckles?" She asked. He nodded as he stood up. Vanille looked away, covering her eyes and blushing once she realized he was naked. Hope quickly ducked behind the counter, feeling exposed. It was in that moment it hit her-flashbacks to their wild drunken night ran through her. It was the ending of that night that caught her by surprise.

"Oh. My. God. We didn't. No, we couldn't! Did we?" She stumbled through the phrases.

"Yes, we had sex..." Hope rolled his eyes.

The two headed into the bedroom. Vanille gasped. The floor was littered with their clothes and the whole room was a mess. The small book case at the far side of the room had fallen over and there were books, papers and pillows everywhere. Picture frames that were hanging on the walls the night before had fallen down during their rumpess love making. "I can't believe I stooped this low!" She began to cry as she fell down onto the bed.

Hope had begun to put his clothes on. He was fumbling around for his shirt when he heard her statement, taking it to offense. "Hey, I'm not that bad! I'm a great guy! You don't even know me or my own name!" He protested.

"And I don't want to know about you or your own name! You practically raped me!" She fell into her pillow and groaned. She could smell sweat and sex on it.

"You know what, I'm going to leave! I've had enough of this!" He threw his white shirt on and ran out the room.

"That's right, go away you rapist!" She growled. He slammed the door to let her know he was gone. Oddly enough, Vanille felt lonely and depressed after he left rather than relieved. "Of course you feel that way! He took away your virtue!" She chucked the smelly pillow at the door where she had last seen him. "Stupid men. Stupid alcohol...." She was enraged at the thought of his devious trick. "Curse you damn Chuckles!"

It was then that Vanille swore to never ever trust a man. For they were all dirty peverted creatures.

xxx

"Curse those damn emeralde eyes!" Hope grumbled as he left the hotel, heading towards the docks and his ship. He spent the whole walk-a rather lengthy one-cursing the woman under his breath. In some ways he got what he was looking for, a night in the bed of a young pretty girl. But he also got skrewed in many ways. When he finally made it to his ship, he ignored everyone-even Snow-and locked himself in his bed quarters.

xxx

Both young people cursed each other throughout their day. The funny thing about this is that they weren't done with each other yet.

They were far from done.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Commander, We Got a Problem**

Author's Note: Here we go. This is where the story really starts and things really kick into pace. Hope you guys are enjoying! :D

xxx

"Where's the captain?" Erie, the Viera who worked in the Alexander's engine room, asked as she walked into the cockpit. Sitting in his chair tuning through television channels was Snow Villiers, the First Officer of the ship.

"No clue, " he mumbled. He tried hard to remember the night before. The two had great luck at the tables and quickly managed to win a fortune. Then they spent it all on booze and partying with a huge possie of youg people. Snow tried but he couldn't remember at which point Hope had dissapeared but he could've sworn he saw him talking to a young woman with red hair and green eyes. Slowly he began to recall the strange events he witnessed between his buzzed state.

Flashback:

_Snow laughed as he turned around, grabbing a huge glass of beer from the bar as he made his way from the large crowd that followed him and Hope since they won big. He took a long sip as he scanned the bar, hoping to meet some more people. Snow was such a people person and enjoyed any chance to make new friends._

_As he excitedly looked about the room he swore he saw Hope leaning on a table watching a beautiful red head with hungered eyes. "What the...What's he planning?" Snow thought aloud as he saw them. The woman's face was hard and serious. She was obviously not interested in him. It wasn't long before Hope signaled for the barkeep. The alien walked over with a large tray of little shots of Bhujerban Wine. "Oh no, please no, Hope!" Snow wanted to run over and stop them but it was too late. The young woman grabbed a few shots and began taking them. It wasn't long before both were trashed and they ran out, laughing and stumbling._

_Snow followed out the door, keeping close to make sure neither of them were in danger. It was hard to concentrate with a light drunken buzz coming over him. He looked at them and quickly threw his hands over his eyes and turned away. There they were, hours after leaving the bar, leaning up against the side of a hotel called ONE NIGHT STAND, licking and sucking at each other's skin so feriocously that it was too inappropriate for his adult eyes. "Gahh, Hope! What the hell!" Snow stumbled backwards and ran back to the bar, filling up with beer to try and forget the image of Hope and red head eating each other and ripping each others clothes off(well, his...he was basically shirtless when Snow found them). Before long, he found himself back at the ship, drunk and tired. _

End of Flashback

Snow threw his hands over his eyes as he did the other night. _So he got what he wanted_, he thought to himself.

"Ah, hello captain!" Erie said as the door to the cockpit opened. Groaching his way in was Hope. He was not at all excited about having to be there.

"Not now, Erie, I'm not in the mood!" he growled as he took his seat. He pulled the seat back and blasted the radio.

"Bad night, captain?" Erie laughed devishly. Hope turned around and glared at her.

"Oh, you have no idea! It was an amazing night but this morning-Not so much!" He slumped in his chair.

"Of course it was, captain, " she said as she sat down in her chair.

Hope was about to continue when there was a call coming from the Communications Officier. "Communications to Captain. Communications to Captain. Do you read me?" the staticy voice asked.

Hope pushed down on the communication link, turning it on, and said, "Yes, we read you. What is it?" Harsh attitude coated Hope's voice as he rolled his eyes.

"There is a message coming in from High Command, sir. They wish to connect with you in the conference room, " the Communications Officier said.

"Alright, put him on, we'll be in in a second, " Hope said as he turned off the connection. He turned and motioned to his to officiers. "Let's go."

xxx

"Bye! No, really, goodbye! No, I can't go with you! I'm here with a friend...No, later, I promise! Hehehe, yes it was an amazing night! Goodbye now!" Serah shut the door to the apartment in the young handsome man's face. She could hear him calling sweet phrases to her as he walked away. "Ugh, foreigners! They're so hott when you're out for drinks but then become so possessive and clingy, right Vans?" Serah blinked as she realized Vanille was not where she had thought she would be. She was expecting to find the red head sitting there, waiting for her friend but she wasn't. "Vans, where are you?" Serah called. She looked around the apartment and couldn't seem to find her. Finally she walked into the bedroom. Her eyes widened in shock as she took in the view. The room was a mess. There were books and picture frames and pillows and bed sheets everywhere. She saw Vanille's black dress and lingerie on the floor.

"Uhhnn...." low sobs came from the bed. Serah blinked twice and rubbed her eyes, barley believing was she saw. There was Vanille...In the bed...In nothing but a robe. Her hair was messy and her body, from what Serah could see, completely flushed.

"Oh. My. God." Vanille twisted around when she heard her friend's voice. "You. Did. It. You. Did. It." Serah stared, wideyed. "You had sex."

"Yes, let's not celebrate! It was awful!" Vanille cried into her hands.

"No it wasn't! I mean it couldn't have been considering the room's state..." Serah observed the area.

"Oh, it was! He got me all drunk and tricked me!" Vanille growled as she thought of the man.

"Still, looks like you had a great and amazing time!" Serah nearly sang with joy. She began tidying up the room.

"No, not with this guy. I hated it. I hate him! I will curse him till the day that he dies!" Vanille said as she jumped off the bed.

"Oh please, Vans." Serah turned to face her friend, an oddly mature flame burning in her eyes. "You can't curse the man you lost your virginity to."

That was the point. Vanille lost her virginity to _him_! That wretched man. "I don't want to think about it."

"Good, cause you got a message from the High Commander of the Intergalatic Federation. I just got news from the guy on my ship."

Vanille blinked and looked over to her friend. "High Commander of the Intergalatic Federation?" she barely managed to say. Serah just nodded and left the room.

xxx

"At ease, " High Comander Cid Raynes said as the captain and officiers of the Alexander saluted him.

"You look good since we last talked, um, I dunno, two days ago!" a furious Hope said.

"I take it vacation was not as you suspected?" Cid laughed. Hope didn't say anything. "Well, it doesn't matter...I'm giving you a new assignment."

Hope rolled his eyes, "Now what? Some fat wealthy guy needs me to escort him accross the universe to a stupid party? I'm so tired of dumb jobs!"

"No, Captain Estheim, I'm giving you a really fun job this time." Hope, Snow and Erie exchanged glances. What did the Commander mean by 'fun'?

"Excuse me, Commander? What were you thinking?" Hope said, raising an eyebrow in curiousity.

Commander Raynes just smiled.

xxx

"So who do you think it is?" Snow asked as he and Hope walked side by side down a hallway towards the docking stations of the Alexander. The crew of the Alexander were assigned to escort a diplomat from the space colony Oerba to the Minerva System-specifically Minerva Seven-where the diplomat is to take part in peace talks between sectors seven and three of the system. War had broken loose in the Minerva System and the federation believed they needed to step in. So they hired the most accessible crew to help with the job.

"No clue, but it's probably some old lady who's been in the bussiness forever." He didn't look at Snow as they walked down. It seemed that he put the previous night behind him once the commander gave them their new mission.

"I guess....Miss Oerba Dia Vanille...That was her name. She's from Oerba? We didn't meet anyone there, so she could be anyone."

"Yeah, an old ugly pacifist diplomat! Just what we need, " Hope laughed and shook Snow's arm. The larger man found his captain's behavior to be very strange.

"Well, at least we know you won't hit on her!" Snow smiled as they turned into the docking station.

"Right, " Hope answered with a charismatic smile. The two came to a large glass door and awaited the shuttle with the diplomat.

It wasn't long before the back doors of the Alexander opened and a diamond shaped shuttle came flying in. Hope nodded to the ship, "here she comes!"

The diamond shaped shuttle floated in the bay doors and landed smoothly on the docking platform. Once the baydoors shut behind it, it cut off it's engine. The craft's door tilted upward and a row of stairs unfolded itself and extended downwards. Emerging from the ship was a tall young woman with red hair.

"Oh no. Oh no, that's not good, " Snow muttered under his breath.

Hope's jaw dropped but he quickly pulled himself together and greeted the familiar woman with, "Small galaxy, eh?" He took a deep breath and added, "You must be Ms. Oerba Dia Vanille."

"You're Captain Esthein of the ship 'Alexander'?"

"Um, well last I checked, yes."

"You're in charge of this vessel, " her wide green eyes opened wider.

Snow leaned over towards Hope as the glass wall in between them and the woman opened up, allowing her passage inside. He said, "One hell of a coincedence, don't you think cap'n?"

"You have no idea, " Hope didn't seem so mad about this, atleast not nearly as much as the woman before them.

"I honestly do not believe this will work, Captain, " Vanille said, the fire in her green eyes staring him down. She was mentally replaying that night and Enduclerian and the morning afterwards. Hope became a little uncomfortable under her intense glare.

"Look, I'm not at all as thrilled about this as you, but you're stuck with me, " he tried to seem sympathetic but there was something about this that was making him a little excited.

She wasn't actually listening to him. She started pacing and muttered, "I can't believe the federation would let someone like you command a ship!"

Hope took this to offense, "Woah, hold on! You don't even know me."

"I do-you're a cocky ladies' man who drinks a lot and likes sharing his bed!" She placed her hands on her hips and glared with dissaproval.

Snow leaned in towards Hope, who was shocked. "So she does know you."

Hope ignored his friend and stepped forward, allowing himself to be up close to the woman. In a low, husky voice he said, "I probably deserve that and any following criticism I'll get from you, but there is something you don't know about me and that is that I love and am very good at my job. And for that reason I am going to get you to Minerva Seven, and back safely and I'll do one hell of a good job doing it. Do I make myself clear?"

Vanille stepped back. She was shocked at his strong response but did not show it. She folded her arms across her chest and scrunched her lips to one side. "Yes, captain, you made yourself very clear. Just keep your distance. Our relationship is purely professional." She gave him one last intense glare and then whirled around and headed back into the shuttle.

Hope finally let out a breath. He hadn't breathed since he defended himself. Snow, who was chuckling lightly, slammed his hand against Hope's back, knocking him off balance. "What a woman, sir!" Snow helped Hope back onto his feet.

"Yeah, I know..." The two men turned around and headed for the cockpit. It was time they set course for Minerva.

And, boy, is the fun about to begin!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: She's a Super Freak  
**

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is so late, I didn't have a computer or internet access for a while and not to mention I went to Vegas for spring break(and it was amazing!). anyway, I was planning on writing a bunch of chapters and puttin them all in on Thursday Nights. I'm still going to do this, so the full story will be up pretty soon :) This is just so I keep updating it and don't forget/loose interest or inspiration for the story. Today, however, I'm only posting one chapter since I've had NO TIME to write.

Notes on this chapter: it's not that great in my opinion, it's really just another, I guess, funny run in between Hope and Vanille where he gets a little more(and less) insight to who she is on a professional basis(I guess) and where we get a little "hint" to Vanille's physical attraction to Hope(whether good or not..)

As always, enjoy and r&r(I just discovered what that meant! lol.)

oh, and, I'm sorry if their are some grammar errors, you are free to point them out. I just found a great person to edit my stories but she's slow and so I'm just kinda handing this in rough. I'll be sure to go back and put the edited version. I'm not one to really be "antsy" if someone makes grammar errors, but I'll try to improve.

xxx

The Alexander cruised through the galaxy, past the Midgar System, on it's way to the Minerva System on it's new mission. Inside the ship was lively. Every room lit up with hard working crewmembers. The cockpit was lively as well. Erie, the viera who served as head of the engine room, sat in her chair, sending messages throughout the ship and checking statistics on the engine. First Officer Snow Villiers sat in his chair, reading up on any local intergallatic news and sending commands to any crewmembers he felt necessary. Captain Hope Estheim sat in his chair, one hand comfortably on the steering wheel of the ship while the other was flicking random switches and clicking random buttons.

He seemed completely relaxed. It was very hard to believe that a few hours before he was spazzing out in his cabin.

Snow could remember the scene very clearly. Hope and Snow had just returned from meeting the diplomat whom they would be escorting to the Minerva System. To their suprise it was the girl that Hope had spent the night with at Enduclerian-a night which did not end so smoothly. Hope was so frustrated when he discovered her identity. He wanted to go and call High Command and try to get her a new escort, but it seemed he was stuck with her.

Now he sat in his chair, whistling some tune and flying his ship through space. Maybe Hope had decided to put everything that happened behind him. Something told Snow that that wasn't the case. He knew Hope very well. Although the guy could hold a grudge, he couldn't be mad when he was doing what he loved to do. Hope loved to fly through space. There was something about the purple and blue foggy frontier that invited him in and lifted his spirits. That's what made him such a great space ship captain.

After a brief moment, Hope switched the ship to autopilot and stood up. He streched and yawned and then turned over to his first officer. "I'm going to go and relax. You're in charge until I return to the cockpit, 'kay?" He didn't wait for an answer. He waltzed out of the small room and headed to the lounge. The walk to the lounge from the cockpit is a long one but Hope enjoyed it. He was able to see his ship at work as he walked through the narrow hallways. He would smile and wave as his crewmembers would greet him. This was truly where he felt at peace. Of course that peace quickly went away onced he entered the lounge room.

He didn't expect anyone to be in the room at the time since they were all busy with their jobs. At first, it seemed like the lounge was empty. A sudden groan brought Hope to the realization that he wasn't going to be alone.

"Not you!" Vanille, the young Oerban diplomat, groaned as she turned around to see who had entered the room. She had been sitting alone in the lounge room for hours, looking over documents and information she had been given for her assignment. Clearly she had become a little lonely and was waiting for someone to come and give her company. She was just hoping it wasn't going to be Hope.

"Nope, it's me, " Hope laughed and took a seat across from her. Although he didn't enjoy her presence any more than she did his, he had to admit he was enjoying this. He leaned back and allowed his feet to strech beneath the table that lay between them. He gently rubbed his leather boot's toe against her ankle. She glared at him and slammed her pointy heel down on his toe. "Ouch!" He let out a yelp as he pulled back, causing his knee to bump against the table. "What's the deal?"

"Remember, STRICTLY PROFESSIONAL!" Vanille tapped her pen on the table as she spoke.

He rolled his eyes, "You are so strange." He turned his attention to the large window in the lounge, quickly loosing himself in space.

It grew really silent in the lounge and Vanille felt very awkward. Why isn't he speaking, she thought, What's his deal? She looked up from her documents, fixing her eyes on Hope. He sat back on the couch casually, legs crossed before him and two arms behind his head. His head was positioned towards the right. The dim lighting in the lounge casted a shadow on his figure. The shadow framed his body rather well. She could see his distinctly high cheek bones, the tiny clef in his chin, and the position of his head allowed her to notice how straight his nose was and how handsome his face was. The sleeves of his brown leather jacket hugged his arms tightly and she noticed how muscular his arms were. The v-neck t-shirt he wore also hugged the muscles of his torso.

It wasn't long before Hope felt her gaze on him. He turned to look at her and smile, "Like the view?"

Vanille blinked, awakening from the trance she was put in as she stared at his chest(she couldn't help it, each time he took a deep breath she could faintly see his abs). "What? Oh, no! It's not what you think, " she mumbled as she looked away.

"Sure, " he continued, "Women love me. I'm sure you're admiring me." He teased her by patting his abs and flexing the muscles on one arm.

Her cheeks burned a little but it didn't show. She turned to glare at him. "No, I was just thinking about how stupid you are....And I was wondering about that night."

It took Hope a second to realize what night she was talking about. "Oh."

"Let's not talk about it." She picked up some documents and began to search through them.

"Whatever. If you're really a woman, you can't resist me, " he laughed. She shot him a glare. "Oh, wait, 'Strictly Professional!'" he mimicked her voice. "Come on, if I'm not your type than what is?"

She put her papers aside and looked right into his eyes. The cerulean orbs burned with curiosity. "Fine, " she groaned, "I'm in love with one man....That man just happens to be my job."

"Ah, so you're into your boss! Hot, " he flashed an amused grin as he spoke.

"No, you idiot, this!"-she picked up a paper and waved it in his face-"This is my love! This is literally my life, and I'm really happy I get the chance to do what I spent three years in college and two years in an office training for!"

Hope blinked, "I don't get it?"

Vanille rolled her eyes and began to collect her papers. Then she stood up and walked for the door. As she walked, she said, "I thought you understood captain. You told me yourself that you 'loved your job and are very good at it'. Not to mention how you loose yourself looking out at space." She turned around to look into his eyes again. There was a strange glow of passion in them.

"I do, don't I? I mean understand, " he laughed breathlessly, though his smile quickly faded.

He looked at her as she spoke, "I don't know, you tell me." After a brief moment of silence, she turned and headed out the door.

As she left, Hope reached down to a radio sitting on the coffee table and turned it on. The song "Super Freak" started playing. "Perhaps I'm a little hard on her." Hope leaned back and drifted into a light sleep.

xxx

It wasn't long before the intercom came on and disturbed Hope's nap. He rubbed his eyes as Snow's rather enthusiastic voice spoke. "Crew and, um, er, _travelers_? Yeah that sounds good...Oh, um, ahem, attention, we have entered orbit around the Minerva System Sector Seven and are preparing to land. We advise that all personel on the ship get into their seats and buckle up, this just might be a bumpy ride."

Hope was already heading down the hall towards the cockpit and it wasn't long before he was sitting down, strapped into his seat. He reached over and grabbed the microphone from Snow. "Attention crew and passangers aboard the Alexander, this is you're captain speaking. As First Officier Villiers has stated, we are preparing for landing. Within a couple minutes we will touch down on Minerva Seven's surface and even then I advise you to stay in your seats and cabins. Alright, prepare for touchdown in 10 seconds." He clicked the mic off and then began to prepare the ship for landing.

"Have fun in the lounge, cap'n?" Snow asked. Hope didn't turn to look or say anything to him. "I guess so."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Minerva Seven**

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update guys. School just sucks...And I'm so glad it's vacation. So it took me awhile to get back into the HopexVanille groove and I think it'll show that I still am not there cuz the next two chapters I'm posting just suck. I'm sorry guys, but they do. But all will be fixed soon! I promise. In fact, I'll be starting my new fan fic about them that'll help me out a bit(I think). So yeah, enjoy. I know you guys wanna see the other side of Vanille but I promise you it is coming soon. It's just hard for her to be that person with Hope being the way he is but she's going to give in! I promise!**

xxx

The Alexander's Doors opened and the glow and heat radiating from the Minervan sun fell upon Vanille's face. She smiled and began to walk forward when she felt a strong arm wrap itself around her waist.

"Woah, Miss Vanille, not so fast! We wouldn't want anything to happen to you!" Snow Villiers said as he pulled the small woman back. He flashed his friendly grin and laid two large hands on her little shoulders. Vanille had to admit that Snow was a nice guy. She had come to like him during the three days they had been stuck on Minerva Seven. Hope had refused to let anyone out until they had contacted High Command or members of the Government on Minerva Seven. That morning they got a call from the High Command, granting them permission to leave the ship.

"Yeah, it's best you stay back, " Hope said absentmindedly as he steped down onto Minervan soil. One of his arms was stretched out, signaling they stay back, while the other sat down on his side, just inches away from his ray gun.

Vanille rolled her eyes and walked forward, ignoring both Snow and Hope's suggestions. The air in Minerva was sweet and the faint smell of lavender grew strong as the cool wind tumbled by. Vanille took a deep breath, hoping to never forget the scent. She looked up into the majestic purple sky and saw three moons. Then she looked at the green hills and blue mountains laying against the horizon. The large bamboo like pants and pink lillies danced in the light breeze.

Hope scurried ahead of her and threw his arm across her waist. "Stay behind me, " he exaggerated on the word "behind" as he spoke. The sharp tone he used told her that there was no sense in argueing, but Vanille wouldn't let Hope ruin the giddy happiness growing insider her chest.

She pushed back a few strands of red hair behind her ear and replied, "The Minervan Government representative will be here soon and remember that I'm in charge of this negotiation, not you." Her voice was stern.

"Yeah, well, my orders are to protect you, hun, and I can't if you go running around like a psycho wild chocobo! And I'm going to have to make sure the area is safe-"

Hope suddenly stopped talking and stared in the direction of a wall of bamboo-like plants. Emerging from the "wall" was a woman. Vanille skipped past Hope as her eyes fell upon the woman heading their way. She was tall and beautiful with long waves of black hair. Her skin was tanned from the always-present-and-burning sun and loosly wrapped around her body was a blue colored sari and on one arm, she had a large tatoo.

"Well, hello, " Hope raised his eyebrows and muttered under his breath. He had to admit, although he still found Vanille attractive, this one caused a different frenzy "down there."

Vanille reached out her hand and the other woman took it and shook it. Then the redhead began to start conversation with the woman in the Minervan language. Hope ignored them, staring at their surroundings, until he noticed they were looking at him. And then they suddenly laughed, their gazes darting knowingly to him before returning to each other. Hope pulled out his translator but it was too late, they were already babbling about accomadations for Vanille and her escort-him. He muttered and mentally kicked himself as he followed the women through the thickets and towards a large city.

The city of Palopulum was more "modern" and "industrialized" than Hope would have thought. He looked at the buildings, all silver and identical, and then he looked at the factories that accompanied them.

"These are the working stations, Captain Estheim, was it?" the Minervan woman from before had said in plain english, though there was a slight accent to the words.

Hope blinked, suprised she spoke their language. "Um, yes, just call me Hope," he quickly recovered and acted smoothly. "I thought so. Forgive me for being so dimwitted. I know more about space than I do about the actual planets. Though, I would like to know more about your people...And yourself." Hope smiled and winked to the woman, who smiled back.

Vanille rolled her eyes at his stupidity. She knew she would have to talk to him about this. "Where will we be staying?" she asked the woman.

"You'll be staying in my home, the same home that the king lives in."

"Joy. Tell me, sweetcheeks, what's your name?" Hope whizzed inbetween the woman and shoved Vanille aside. She crossed her arms and began to mutter under her breath.

"It's Fang, Captain Estheim."

"Ah! Hope, not 'Captain Estheim,'" He smiled.

"Right, Hope..."

The two stood close and stared into each other's eyes, causing discomfort for Vanille. So she shoved her way inbetween them as Hope did and pushed him aside with a wack. "Well then! Let's go!" She smiled to Fang as they walked and she shot Hope a threatening and blood churning side glance. He sighed knowing that he was going to get a butt load from Vanille once they were alone. This became the first time he was actually not excited to be alone with the little red head.

xxx

"You're ridiculous!" Vanille rubbed her temples in irritation.

"What are you talking about?" Hope raised an eyebrow and looked up from his coffee. It had been an hour since they had left the Alexander and now they were sitting in the parlor of the large luxurious apartment they shared. That was one of the things that irritated Vanille- they _shared_ the apartment. Sure, they had seperate rooms that were on the opposite sides of the building but she was completely uncomfortable with the idea of him being in the same area as her.

Especially since he had a new interest.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" she glared at him as she screamed.

Hope thought for a moment and then he came to the realization. "Oh, you mean how I'm acting with Fang. What's the big deal? She's a beautiful..._woman thing_...Yeah, and I'm a handsome gentleman who has certain, er, um, how would you say this? _Needs._" He took a slow sip of his coffee before setting it down and standing up. He noticed the fury brewing in her emeralde eyes. This grew as he swiftly crossed the room to her and cupped her chin in his hands. There was a strange amusement in his eyes as he said, "What's the problem, Vanille? You jealous?"

Angrily Vanille smacked his hand away and turned her back on him. "Please! Why would I be jealous? As far as I'm concerned, she can have you!" And with that, she left.

Hope watched her leave and thought _Damn, her legs are so hot. Not to mention the way her hips sway...Like a model_. "Diplomats don't walk like that...There's something weird about her...I'm going to figure it out."

Hope walked out the front door and took a deep breath of the strange refreshing Minervan air. He closed his eyes slowly when suddenly a thought popped into his head.

_"Why would I be jealous? As far as I'm concerned, she can have you!"_

He smirked as he said to himself, "Oh Vanny, I'll make you jealous. Just you wait and see, she'll have me and you'll hate it! Mark my words, Vanille, you'll want me bad."

So Hope began thinking up his plan to get Oerba Dia Vanille-super strick, super workaholic, and super hottie-to fall for him through jealousy.

"This is going to be fun!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: I Love Rock and Roll, so Put Another Dime in the Juke Box Baby**

**Author's Note: Okay I told you guys that these chapters suck..But they will get better again. And I'm sure you guys are tired of Vanille hating on Hope but that's going to change VERY SOON. Anyway, this chapter is short but I think it's kinda fun. Hope can be pretty stupid when it comes to alcohol, and this chapter just highlights that. XD so yeah enjoy it!**

**R&R PLEASE! Don't just add, review too( I should probly follow that advice)**

**btw, there aren't enough fanfics bout this pairing! that's no good! Let's try and write a whole bunch! I'm going to start on my new one called "Dawn's Diary"(originally titled "Dear Diary"). It's going to be romantic and dramatic. But seriously, we need more HopexVanille-ness here! SPREAD THE HOPExVANILLE LOVE!**

**okay onto the story.**

xxx

Hope was so excited about his plan. First, he had to continue to woo Miss Fang. Then he would have to act like the loving boyfriend. Meanwhile, he would slowly break down the barriers that are in the way of Vanille's fun self(if she really had one) and her boring workaholic self(which he was afraid was the only side of her). Then he would have to appeal to that different side of Vanille(which, yet again, he was praying existed).

Luckily, he was already far in his plan. Miss Fang was head over heels for him. He could see why-next to everyone else in the small planet, he and Vanille really stook out. They both had faire skin compared to the tan people of Minerva Sector Seven. His blonde hair and Vanille's red hair really stuck out on a planet filled with Brunettes. And they were also way more decently dressed than the locals, which Hope didn't mind considering all the exotic babes around(who all had their eyes on him).

Miss Fang was the prettiest woman he saw amoungst the locals, but he found himself thinking about Vanille often. But why her? He figured he only had a physical attraction to her and maybe that night they shared was really good(he couldn't remember it very well). But was that all? Did he only care about her body and the pleasure she gave him? Something told him that was not so. And that irritated him like hell. Why is Oerba Dia Vanille any different than the other girls he knew?

This kind of confusion usually led to one thing: alcohol. It was Hope's best friend, and it really helped him get past this drama. He felt like a stupid 12 year old school girl until he had a sip of his pal.

And so Hope was insearch of a cure to his headache(how ironic). Before long he found the local bar. The cool air felt so good against his buring skin as he entered the dim room. It took some time for his eyes to adjust and once they did, he found the perfect spot at the bar to sit. He quickly claimed the seat and grabbed the attention of the barkeep.

"Got some Bhujerban?" he asked. To his dismay, the barkeep shook his head. "Dammit. Well then just give me your strongest cup!" He twisted in his seat and stared at the crowd. The beautiful exotic people filled the room. He began to wonder why they were all so serious and sober when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see the barkeep. The man handed Hope a cup of bubbling and smoking green liquid. One wiff of the stuff and he wanted to hurl. "What is this?" he asked, trying to keep his stomach _inside_ his body.

"It's the _strongest cup_," The barkeep laughed with a few other guys at the bar.

"Come on, don't be a wussy and drink it!" a guy at the end of the bar said and the whole room joined in on the encouraging.

Quickly, Hope gulped down the buring liquid and everyone else raised their own glasses and cheered before taking big gulps of their drinks. Oddly enough, the stinky drink tasted very good. Hope could feel it kick in and before he knew it, he was ordering his sixth cup. It gave him such a strange feeling inside and soon he felt as if he wasn't even in his body. Every limb went numb and his brain felt like jello. But his heart lept wildly in his chest. This was going to end in a disaterous hangover.

xxx

Vanille had woken up very early that day. She wasn't going to let Hope get to Fang first. Mr. Flirty will just have to wait his turn, this woman needed to learn all she could about the planet before starting negotiations. Well, she acutally didn't really need to cause she knew enough for that, but Vanille just loved learning new things.

She decided to dress casually and chose a layered tank top look and a pair of faded blue jean shorts. Then she grabbed her favorite pair of black sneakers before leaving. As usual, she wore her hair in spiraled pig tails.

Vanille practically skipped across the courtyard to see Fang.

"Oerba Dia Vanille!" Fang's eyes widened as she saw that young woman. Fang had a thing about calling people by formalities.

"Please call me Vanille, " Vanille sighed and began walking beside the woman.

"Of course, I'm sorry Vanille. I should have assumed considering how you were dressed that this is a casual meeting."

"Consider everytime we meet a friendly casual meeting, " Vanille smiled to Fang. She began to engage the woman in talk about the planet and culture. Fang had a deep passion for her people and homeland. It made Vanille want to work hard to save both Sector Seven and Three from war.

They spent an hour talking before Fang became bored. They were sitting on a bench in the middle of a grand park, just by a large fountain. "Can we go somewhere fun?" Fang asked.

"This is a casual meeting! Of course we can!" Vanille laughed as they got up and left the park. She had to admit that her tastes weren't very normal for people her age but she loved the simple things like sitting in the park or going for a walk to the local museum. That was just Vanille. But she was also very willing to do things that others considered fun.

Vanille's concept of fun, however, did not include bars. Bars meant one thing: alcohol. And alcohol meant one thing: drunk. And drunk meant one thing: stupid decisions. And stupid decisions meant one thing: waking up in the arms of some loser who just may end up as your escort on your first mission...Okay, maybe that was pushing it, but either way bars weren't Vanille's thing. But she didn't want to be on Fang's bad side, so she approached the heavy bar door with enthusiasm. She just wasn't expecting _this_ when she and Fang entered the cool dim room.

xxx

_I SAW HIM DANCING THERE BY THE RECORD MACHINE! I KNEW HE MUST'VE BEEN ABOUT SEVENTEEN! _

"Come on everyone! Sing!" Hope screamed over the music. Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'N Roll" was coming from the old fashioned juke box at the far side of the bar.

_I CAN TELL IT WOULDN'T BE LONG TILL HE WAS WITH ME! YEAH ME! SINGING-_

"I LOVE ROCK 'N ROLL! SO PUT ANOTHER DIME IN THE JUKE BOX BABY! I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL SO COME AND TAKE YOUR TIME AND DANCE WITH ME!" Hope sang along to the recording as people in the bar cheered and laughed. He jumped up onto the bar and began to dance around as he shouted "YEOW!" along with Joan Jett. He saw Vanille and Fang standing at the edge of the bar and jumped in front of them.

"SMILED SO I GOT UP AND ASKED FOR HIS NAME! THAT DON'T MATTER, HE SAID, 'CAUSE IT'S ALL THE SAME! SO CAN I TAKE YOU HOME? WHERE WE CAN BE ALO-OO-O-OO-ONE?" He sang, his drunken eyes darting between the two women. Fang blushed and giggled. Vanille smacked her forehead and tried to hide the fact that she was blushing as well.

He continued the silly display, getting more and more to join into the singing and dancing. The barkeep seemed to enjoy it too. Once the guitar solo came, he began to play the air guitar.

"What a party animal!" Fang laughed and joined in on the singing. It wasn't long until the whole bar, minus Vanille, was singing and clapping. Fang noticed this and tugged on Vanille's arm saying, "Come on! Sing!"

So then Vanille joined in, jumping up and down and screaming the song!

_SO COME ON TAKE YOUR TIME AND DANCE WITH ME!_

"Whoo! You're the best! LOVE YOU GUYS!" Hope screamed before falling off the edge of the bar and falling unconcious.

"Wow, " Vanille commented. She began to lift his heavy body when she turned to Fang and said, "Come on, help me get this 'party animal' back to the apartment. He is going to have a major headache tomorrow morning."

Fang giggled and helped Vanille carry him all the way back home. She left Vanille and Hope alone after helping lift him onto his bed, reminding Vanille that the next evening they were to meet with a messanger of the Prince of Sector Three.

"Alright! I'll see you tomorrow Fang! And don't worry, I'll make sure Captain Estheim is ready, " she giggled as she bid farewell to Fang. "Have a wonderful night!"

Once Fang dissapeared, Vanille snuck back into Hope's room where she took a seat next to his bed. She began to push back his messy bangs and blushed as she noticed how sweet and innocent he looked as he slept. His breathing was soft as well as his facial expression. He looked like a little boy, lost in a dream about space no doubt.

The cutest thing about him were his pink lips. They looked so soft and inviting. Vanille began to wonder about the kisses they had probably shared that one night. Were his lips soft and inviting then? She began to notice that she was leaning in towards him. She quickly came to her senses and jumped away from his bed. "Vanille! What were you thinking? What were you thinking?" she repeated as she retreated the room. She was blushing mad and her cheeks still burned with embarassment as she changed into a night gown and prepared for bed. She sat there for a while, stunned. Then she smiled and laughed a little. "Oh Vanny, don't deny it! He's definetly getting to you...The _real _you."

But that was kinda disgusting to her so she pushed that to the back of her mind and went to bed.


End file.
